Because if we're going to try and stop the misuse of our favorite comics and their protagonists by the companies that write and publish them, we've got to see what both the printed and online comics news is doing wrong. This blog focuses on both the good and the bad, the newspaper media and the online websites. Unabashedly. Unapologetically. Scanning the media for what's being done right and what's being done wrong.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Stephen Wacker thinks Girl Scout cookies are a problem

The editor of Spider-Man channels Michael Bloomberg/Michelle Obama when he says:

Given the obesity epidemic in the US, can we all agree that these Girl Scouts and their delicious cookies are the enemies of America?
— Stephen Wacker (@StephenWacker) March 15, 2013

No. People concerned about obesity should be responsible for themselves and prove they're capable of refraining from eating what they don't think is healthy, and besides, what if the Girl Scouts use healthier ingredients than most other pastry companies for their cookies? (This article says they make them trans-fat free.) Funny that he suggests the Girl Scouts USA are a problem but not bigger companies like Keebler and Hershey; the Scouts are way too easy a target. And the way he implies the Scouts are "enemies" isn't very respectable either. Why, did it even occur to him that they're running a business just like the comics company he's working for?

Maybe Wacker just hasn't noticed, but if this NYT article is correct, obesity rates have declined since 2000. There may still be some distance to go before the situation really becomes better again, but for now, it may be a sign that people did wake up to the hazards of obesity.

Wacker might also want to remember the famous line from Spider-Man's beginnings: "With great power must come great responsibility". It applies to everybody, including people concerned about their health, and even Wacker too.

Update: it appears it was really a joke Wacker was making. Some jokes are difficult for me to identify. Clearly, I have to try harder.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Some jokes are difficult for me to figure out. I know that in France, they have a very sophisticated sense of humor that's tricky to understand at first, but with a little effort can be understood, and enjoyed.

Irony is the most easily misunderstood form of satire. There were probably people who thought that Jonathan Swift seriously advocated eating Irish babies. And a lot of people still think that Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" were patriotic anthems.

Sadly, given that a lot of leftists and/or comics employees are nuttier than squirrel poop, it can often be hard to tell when they're serious. No real difference between banning Big Gulps or Girl Scout cookies, after all...

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About me

I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best.